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Monday, 27 February 2012

Inspired by last weekend's glitz and glamour at the 84th Annual Academy Awards in the Hollywood and Highland Center, Los Angeles, California (not that I'm at all biased that Gary Oldman should have got an Oscar), I'd like to mention a few ladies who, to me, exemplify the spirit of what Hollywood should be about.

1. Michelle Williams.

Michelle WilliamsPeople.com

She made her name in films such as 2005's Brokeback Mountain and 2010's Blue Valentine. But since the release of My Week With Marilyn last year, Michelle's fame has simply skyrocketed.

Nominated for an Oscar for her lead role as the dazzling yet vulnerable Monroe at only 31 years old, she has maintained her natural grace and elegance, despite the L.A. hype that she could so easily have let take over her life.

Michelle Williams in My Week with Marilyn.Image courtesy of www.michelle-williams.net

Walking the Red Carpet in Hollywood on February 26, 2012, looking every inch the glamourous goddess, Michelle - nominated in the Best Leading Actress category against Rooney Mara (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), Glenn Close (Albert Nobbs), Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady) and Viola Davis (The Help) - wore a strapless Louis Vuitton dress, in a very distinctive coral shade, with a small ribbon on the side. She accessorised with a combination of Forevermark and Fred Leighton jewellery, along with Christian Louboutin heels. She carried a Bottega Venetta crocodile clutch.

Michelle Williams at the 2012 OscarsImage from bellasugar.com.au

Image from gossipcenter.com

Image from instyle.com

Michelle won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for her role as Marilyn in January 2012. She said: "I consider myself a mother first and an actress second, and so the person I most want to thank is my daughter, my little girl, whose bravery and exuberance is the example that I take with me in my work and in my life."

2. Emma Watson

Vogue Italia

The Parisian-born 21 year old hit the big time with her first ever film role as Hermione Granger, the heroine of the Harry Potter saga. The eight films were first adapted from the bestselling novels by J.K. Rowling in 2001, beginning with Christopher Columbus' Philosopher's Stone.

Emma as Hermione in 2002's Harry Potterand the Chamber of Secrets

Emma as Hermione in 2011's Harry Potterand the Deathly Hallows: Part One

Growing up in the spotlight, Emma (who was cast in Harry Potter at just nine years of age) remained focused on her education, receiving top marks in her final school exams (English Literature, Art and Geography).

Emma's first day at Oxford UniversityImage: Grazia Daily

She then chose to attend the Ivy League's Brown University, in the United States, to study Liberal Arts (including Women's History and English Literature). She is currently spending her third year in Oxford University in her hometown, before returning to America for her final year. She is balancing her studies with her work as an Ambassadress for Lancôme (which I will discuss in my next post) and her acting; her next film will be released this year, entitled The Perks of Being a Wallflower. She is starring opposite Logan Lerman as the character of Sam.

Emma Watson in The Perks of Being a WallflowerImage: mtv.com

She is already a familiar face at Fashion Weeks worldwide, having modelled with Burberry two years ago. She first collaborated with fashion label People Tree in 2009/2010 as a Creative Advisor for their teenage spring line, Love from Emma. She has also worked with designer Alberta Ferretti in March 2011 on a collection called Pure Threads. "I'm happy to encourage anyone interested in making conscientious clothing from raw, sustainable materials, so much so that I'll work for free," Emma said at the time.

This time last year, Emma received the Style Icon Award from Elle Magazine and was presented with it by Dame Vivienne Westwood.

Her premiere outfits in recent years have gained a lot of media scrutiny. Personally, I think her style at the London premieres is much more suited to her than what she has chosen to wear at the U.S. premieres. However, she's got plenty more success lying ahead in her future!

Emma at the UK Premiere of Harry Potter and theDeathly Hallows: Part One, November 2010Rafael Lopez black lace and feathered dressImage: zimbio.com

At the New York Premiere ofDeathly Hallows: Part One,November 2010Wearing a Calvin Klein Collection dressImage: Daily Mail

Emma Watson at the London Premiere ofHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part TwoJuly 2011Wearing chiffon dress by Oscar de la Renta,jacket (not seen here) by Antonio BerardiImage: Daily Mail

The Trio: Rupert Grint, Dan Radcliffe and Emma Watson at theNew York Premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part TwoJuly 2011Emma is wearing Bottega Veneta.Image: MTV

3. Carey Mulligan

The stunning Carey Mulligan is only twenty-six, but her remarkable ability as an actress has already made her a household name. Making her debut in 2005's Pride and Prejudice alongside Kiera Knightley, the young Englishwoman starred in 2009's An Education as Jenny, which won her a BAFTA for Best Actress in a Leading Role. She was also nominated for an Oscar.

Carey Mulligan as Jenny in An EducationImage: newsday.com

She has been cast as Daisy in Baz Luhrmann's film The Great Gatsby, now in post-production. She stars opposite Leonardo di Caprio (Jay Gatsby) and Tobey Maguire (Nick Carraway).

Carey Mulligan as Daisy in The Great Gatsby

My favourite role of hers thus far has been in 2007's World War One television drama My Boy Jack, where she played Elsie Kipling, daughter of renowned author Rudyard Kipling.

She has thrown herself into every role she has had, no matter what era the production is set in. She has consistently challenged herself with new characters and situations, and brought an added layer of complexity to them with her interpretation.

Carey Mulligan as Elsie, with the rest of the Kipling family:Daniel Radcliffe as Jack, David Haig as Rudyard and Kim Cattrall as Caroline

4. Ellen Page

25 year old Canadian actress Ellen started in the industry at a young age, first performing at age four in school productions. Gaining recognition in the 2005 films Mouth to Mouth and Hard Candy, she was offered the role of Kitty Pryde - or 'Shadowcat' - in X Men: The Last Stand.

Ellen (second from right) as X Men 3's Kitty Pryde

She then gained critical acclaim for her lead role as a pregnant teen in Juno. She has since appeared in Whip Itwith Drew Barrymore and Inceptionwith Leonardo di Caprio.

Image: fanpop.com

Ellen Page with her Whip It co-star and director Drew BarrymoreImage: forum.comingsoon.it

5. Kate Winslet

Kate WinsletImage: getreading.co.uk

The 36 year old Englishwoman was catapulted to worldwide fame when she starred as Rose DeWitt Bukater in 1997's Titanic, directed by James Cameron, which at that time was the highest grossing film ever made, but before that she was cast in Peter Jackson's 1994 film Heavenly Creatures and Emma Thompson's 1995 adaptation of Sense and Sensibility. Titanic is being re-released in 3D this April to mark the centenary since the sinking of the ship.

She has undertaken a vast amount of characters since her career began in television in 1991. Her love for acting demonstrates itself with the pure passion she puts in to her work. Her sheer elegance and vivacious nature have made her one of the most respected women in the industry.

These five ladies all have had great successes in their careers but keep their feet firmly on the ground. They are nothing but passionate about their craft and I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next for them all.

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Who are you?

I'm a 21-year-old Irish writer. I've just finished my third year of an English Literature and French degree, specialising in Creative Writing, at the National University of Ireland, Galway.
I'm currently living in my favourite city in the world, London. I'm a freelance journalist and have been published by Sin Newspaper, writing.ie and A Younger Theatre.
If you're interested in reading more of my work, you can check out my other blog at mareseosullivan.wordpress.com.